Cape Town - As part of the ongoing efforts to increase seamless flow of intra-regional trade and support regional industrialisation, and ultimately, accelerate the regional economic development, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) today launched the SADC electronic Certificate of Origin (e-CoO) in Blantyre, Republic of Malawi, under the theme ‘Enhancing trade facilitation through the SADC Electronic Certificate of Origin’.
Speaking at the launch of SADC e-Certificate of Origin at Ryalls Hotel, Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) commissioner general, John Bizwick, said the e-Certificate will improve the way business is conducted in the region as challenges that were associated with the manual processing of the the certificate will be eliminated, according to reports.
The MRA launched the SADC electronic-Certificate of Origin which aims at simplifying customs and facilitate trade.
The electronic system will allow manufacturers, producers and exporters to electronically register their products for preferential treatment and apply for certificates of origin whenever there is an export shipment.
What you need to know about the SADC electronic Certificate of Origin
The implementation of the eCoO is one of the milestones of the Trade Facilitation Programme (TFP), which is supported by the European Union and GIZ under the “Cooperation for the Enhancement of SADC Regional Economic Integration” (CESARE) programme that provides for capacity-building and technical assistance in border cooperation by ensuring the implementation of SADC Coordinated Border Management Guidelines and the provisions of the World Trade Organisation (WTO’s) Trade Facilitation Agreement, particularly on improving the efficiency of their operations.
The e-CoO, which replaces the manual SADC Certificate of Origin issued by the issuing authority in the country of origin of the goods, will help the trader to apply on-line, trace the application and get the response on the submission digitally, thus infusing efficiency in the process.
The eCoO will significantly reduce fraud at border posts owing to its security features such as online e-CoO authenticity verification and the optical watermarking technology.
The SADC eCoO Framework was approved by the Committee of Ministers of Trade in 2019.
To date Customs Administrations and Revenue Authorities of eSwatini, Malawi and Zambia have developed their eCoO modules and other member states are working on piloting the Framework. It is expected that all member states will implement the e-CoO by 2024.
– The SADC e-Certificate of Origin is electronically processed and issued by an issuing authority attesting that goods declared by an exporter conform to specific Rules of Origin as per the criteria provided in the SADC Protocol on Trade.
– Generally, the certificate of origin is a required document by importing country for the purpose of granting duty free and tax free, statistics and risk assessment.
– With the SADC e-Certificate of Origin, issuance of certificates is done through a system, and the authorisation process, which includes registration of exporters, stamps and signatures, is done in electronic format.
– The electronic system will allow manufacturers, producers and exporters to electronically register their products for preferential treatment and apply for certificates of origin whenever there is an export shipment. Furthermore, the system allows Customs officers to approve the system electronically.
Benefits of the SADC e-Certificate of Origin:
– The eCoO is paperless, making it environmental friendly
– It supports the regional quest to enhance e-commerce and automation, hence addressing some of the communicable diseases such as Covid-19
– Eliminates Certificates of Origin-related fraud since there is an immediate transmission of certified certificate of origin to designated third party recipients in a secure electronic environment
– Saves times as there is no need to visit Customs offices for application and registration. These are done online
– Reduces transaction cost
– Reduces errors and duplicate entries
– Provides direct accessibility of Customs Administration in importing country to the Certificate of Origin issued by the exporting authority
– Allows for properly documented production and process that enables Customs to ascertain origin of goods easily
– Ensures improved record management
– Reduces cross-border certificate verification time
– Improves available accurate statistical data
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